Transplant!

We are delighted to announce that Rajesh Ramanathan underwent a bone marrow transplant in the early hours of Friday June 27th as per schedule in CMC, Vellore, India. He has started the next and hopefully last phase of battle with the dreaded disease of Leukemia. Rajesh's bone marrow transplant - from an unrelated donor - is the first time such a transplant is attempted in India. Please keep Rajesh and his family in your prayers.

Thank you, Donor!

Rajesh will be undergoing the bone marrow transplant on Friday the 27th of June.

On behalf of Rajesh, his family, friends and all his well wishers, we sincerely thank the donor who came forward to donate and save his life. God bless your heart.

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!

HelpRajesh Team.

Update from Rajesh

Preparations are underway and everything is on schedule for a transplant on 27th. Yeah!

Rajesh has completed two rounds of Chemo and three rounds of radiation. There are three more rounds of radiations ahead. He had a bad day yesterday with headache. But today he sounded much better after the 'roasting'(his words). But I could hear the strain in his voice.

He was in good spirits. He is still getting food from home but all the food goes thru the steam to sterilize. He said even the biscuit goes thru the steam! The new facility seems to be top quality and he likes it. He is in isolation and access is limited.

Update from Rajesh - BMT ahead...

Dear All,

Looks like the waiting is over, my rather extended parole days with my family is coming to an end as of tomorrow. I would be admitted tomorrow for the Bone Marrow Transplant program. The schedule would be :

19th Admission
20th Hickman’s catheter
21st Chemo (Cyclophosphamide)
22ndChemo (Cyclophosphamide)
23rd – 25th TBI
25th night we expect the Donor Cells to be here in Vellore hand carried by the NMDP personnel and as per the schedule I am to have the transplant on 26th morning.

Hopefully this should be the last part of my treatment. I would be admitted into the Bone Marrow Transplant rooms from the 21st onwards which means I would be in Isolation from then on until I recover from my transplant and my counts reach normalcy.

The contact numbers would remain the same for now. The phone number in the hospital room shall be provided once I have it.

Thanks and regards

Rajesh

Update from IVY

I had a short conversation with Rajesh today. He is back in Vellore but not in the hospital yet. He went to Palakkad with family for about 12 days as there were some delays from the donor side. They reached back because Rishi’s school is reopening on 5th.

The 1st Donor has been found medically unfit for the donation and hence they are now looking at the 2nd donor. So there may be at least 10-15 days delay.

This is quite disappointing because he was geared up for the transplant as per original plan but came to know of this day before yesterday. However, he is still taking things in his stride and is in high spirits having had this break. He has also gained some weight after eating authentic Kerala food.

Let us continue our prayers for quick closure of formalities with the 2nd donor.

Warm regards
Ivy

Update on BMT.

Dear All,

As you may have expected I should have been in Palakkad enjoying the rains there. However due to certain changes in the schedule, we have cancelled the trip to Palakkad and stayed back in Vellore. The reason for this is  the possible early arrival of the Bone Marrow Extraction from US. 

The earlier plan was that it would be cryogenically transported here. However it was made clear that NMDP would send the extraction not cryogenically but in dry ice at -4­ C and this has to be transfused into me with in 72 hrs of extraction. So all the preparation have to be done to me prior to the dispatch so that as soon this arrives, I should be ready for the infusion. 

So I would be admitted on the 21st and my Hickman’s catheter would be installed by 22nd followed by two days of Cyclophosphomide chemo( 23rd and 24th) and 3 days of total body radiation( 25th,26th, and 27th). So if the extraction is done on 26th or 27th it would reach Vellore by 28th or 29th by which time I would be ready to receive this. 

The Doctor suggested that I could go for a week to Palakkad. Given my leg condition , the risks involved of the travel and change of place etc., we decided against it and planned to stay with the family here in Vellore itself for it is better to finish the treatment off as early as possible.

So I would humbly request you all to pray and support me for this final phase as you have all been doing it for this long. Hopefully I should finish this phase off without much issue.

Regards
Rajesh

Close to Transplant!

Update from I.V.Rajesh from UK:

Spoke to Rajesh this morning.

Rajesh is in good spirits since the bone marrow match has been found and the transplant will happen in June 1st week. He is eagerly waiting to go on a short break to Palakkad in the next few days so that he can come back recharged.

He has started using elbow crutches to support his leg. Pain is still there but has reduced quite a bit. He also keeps watching the IPL matches, although he feels some of them look completely rigged.